60 Minutes: Shoddy Journalism

60 Minutes joins the Arab propaganda bandwagon on Jerusalem.

Efforts to delegitimize Israel's claim to Jerusalem have generally been limited to Arab and Muslim figures, but recently international media outlets have jumped on board to support them. The latest is Lesley Stahl and CBS News's "60 Minutes" in an October 17th segment entitled "Controversy in Jerusalem: The City Of David."

Ms. Stahl dispensed with serious journalism, the kind that involves research and fact-checking. Instead, she simply followed the playbook of Time Magazine, the Economist, and BBC's "Panorama," calling on the same cast of characters,repeating the same distorted claims and reading from the same overall script. Echoing colleagues at the aforementioned media outlets, Ms. Stahl demonstrated how to promote Arab political propaganda with shoddy and partisan journalism.

One of the main obstacles in previous peace-making efforts has been Arab unwillingness to accept Israel as a Jewish state and Muslim denial of Judaism's historical and religious ties to Jerusalem. U.S. negotiator Dennis Ross complained that during the July 2000 negotiations at Camp David, Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat's only contribution was his refusal to acknowledge Jewish ties to Jerusalem, claiming the Jewish Temple never existed there.

When talks resumed in Taba later that year, the Israelis agreed to full Palestinian sovereignty on the Temple Mount, but requested Palestinians acknowledge the sacredness of the place to Judaism. They refused. (See "The Battle Over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount ") Moreover, Palestinian leaders not only deny the existence of Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem, they falsely allege that Jews are trying to takeover or destroy Muslim holy sites there. In that way, they follow the lead of Jerusalem Mufti and Nazi sympathizer Haj al Amin Husseini who so successfully incited anti-Jewish rioting in the1920's by making his battle cry "Defend Muslim Holy Sites."

But this is not the story 60 Minutes wanted to tell. Instead host Lesley Stahl promoted Arab delegitimization of Jewish roots and rights in Jerusalem as follows:

1) Characterize as "controversial" Israel's publicizing ofarcheological findings of Israelite history in Jerusalem, discredit the field of biblical archeology and dismiss archeological excavations as something run by a "settler organization."

According to Ms. Stahl:

It's controversial that the City of David uses discoveries to try to confirm what's in the Bible, particularly from the time of David, the king who made Jerusalem his capital...

and

...But for all the talk of King David, one thing is glaringly missing here at the City of David. There`s actually no evidence of David, right?

Ms. Stahl dismisses the field of biblical archeology,especially the City of David enterprise, by throwing outa red herring — that there is no archeological proof of a King David himself.But, while it is impossible to uncover archeological evidence of any single individual, there is strong archeological evidence for the existence of a Davidic Kingdom. Stahl omits mention, for instance, that in 2005, archeologist Eilat Mazar uncovered remnants of amassive palacein the City of David dating to the 10th century BCE which is believed to be King David's palace.

It is unlikely that Ms. Stahl would ever challengePalestinians about the existence of Mohammed, or whether shewould questionChristians about the existence of Jesus, based on lack of direct archeological proof of those individuals. Her approach, of course, supports attempts by Arab and Muslim leaders to erase any evidence of Jewish history in Jerusalem, whether through the Waqf's unsupervised construction and dumping of artifacts, or whether through the riots that are incited whenever Israel excavates, builds or discovers evidence of its Jewish roots in Jerusalem's holy basin.

Ms. Stahl studiously avoided mention of this issue. She also did not bother to note that City of David archeologists, who are respected internationally for their scholarly contributions to the field, carry out their work under the auspices of the well-regarded Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Nor did she elaborate on the strict protocols which govern their work.

Excavations must be supervised by scholars associated with recognized institutes of archaeology, where there is an infrastructure for research, laboratory treatment, and processing. These scholars publish all of their finds (both Israelite and others) according to accepted scientific standards, and they conserve each uncovered layer of the excavated area as required by the Conservation Department of the IAA. But Ms. Stahl chose tosmear the excavations as governed by a "settler organization." According to the CBS reporter:

While a government agency oversees the excavations, the dig and the site are largely funded and run by something called El`Ad...which claims they`re not a settlers` organization, though, people we spoke to say they are.

2) Call it political "indoctrination" to teach Jews about their historical roots in Jerusalem.

According to Ms. Stahl:

Half a million tourists visit the site every year, with guides who try to bring King David to life. There's an implicit message: that because David conquered the city for the Jews back then, Jerusalem belongs to the Jews today....
and
...So archeology is being used as a political tool. I mean, I hate to use the word, but indoctrination...

Would Ms. Stahl similarly suggest that archeologists should avoid telling Arabs about their own history in the area? Should Americans not send their children to Washington to visit the Lincoln Memorial? By conveying the attitude that it is somehow sinister to strengthen Jewish knowledge about and connection to Jerusalem, Ms. Stahl reflects the Arab perspective where Muslim rights and connection to the Holy Basin are a given, while Jewish rights and connection to the area are considered dubious and an obstacle to peace.

Needless to say, Ms. Stahl does not mention anything about indoctrination by Arab leaders who deny that Jews have any history in the area.

3) Portray Silwan as an area that does or should belong to Arabs. Describe Jews as interlopers with no right to live or carry out excavations there and ignore "inconvenient" history – both of Jewish habitation there as well as Jordan's illegal and racist occupation that ended it.

According to Ms. Stahl:

Another problem is an inconvenient truth that biblical Jerusalem is not located in the western half of the city. It`s right under the densely-populated Arab neighborhood of Silwan. And according to the Clinton parameters, Silwan should be part of a Palestinian state...

...El Ad has raised tens of millions of dollars, half from the United States, and buys these homes on land the Palestinians claim for a future state......

What Ms. Stahl fails to report is that there was a community of Yemenite Jewish families in Silwan as early as 1882 in the neighborhood known as Kfar HaShiloach, and additional Jewish families from various countries joined them in the following years. In the early 1900's Baron de Rothschild bought several acres of land there for the Jewish community. Silwan's Jewish residents lived in the area until they were forced out by Arab attacks in the late 1920s. The City of David, situated in the Silwan valley, is still 60 percent Jewish-owned, including the area bought by Baron de Rothschild. And it is perfectly legal to continue to buy homes there.

The notion that this area must now be rendered Judenrein — free of Jewish habitation,with Jews prohibited from purchasing homes there — echoes the racist policies of Jordan's 19-year illegal occupation of the area, something that Ms. Stahl assiduously avoids mentioning.

4) Gloss over, minimize or ignore "inconvenient truths" that show Arabs as interlopers in the area.

Ms. Stahl discusses the plans to create a tourist park in King's Garden near the City of David, noting that this "requires demolishing twenty-two Arab homes in Silwan," something she suggests would be an "explosive" action.

Ms. Stahl attributes to the mayor the argument that the "Arab houses were built illegally," and that he plans to relocate them, but viewers are never informed that the land had been set aside as conservation parklandwith residential buildingprohibited long before the Arab homes in question were illegally erected. Instead she concludes, "but the locals want to stay in their homes," as if describing them as "locals" is reason enough for them to be allowed to defy the law governing this archeologically-rich area.

The missing "inconvenient truth" can be found in an article by Ha'aretz journalist Nadav Shragai:

Progress has brought troubles along with it to the King's Valley. For hundreds of years floodwaters drained into the garden of the kings of Judea, east of the Shiloah Pool in Jerusalem. In winter it was a swamp, but in summer it became a blooming garden.

With a bit of imagination and with the help of varied historical sources it is possible to imagine King David strolling in the royal garden with its abundant greenery and water among the olive, fig, pomegranate and almond trees, singing Psalms.

According to one tradition, this is where the Book of Ecclesiastes was composed.

About 20 years ago, the Jerusalem municipality shored up the water runoff there, and in the open green area (al Bustan, in Arabic), which the Turks and the British took care to preserve for hundreds of years as a public area intended for preservation and development of parks and tourism, an illegal Palestinian outpost arose.

Within 18 years 88 buildings went up there, under the noses of mayors Teddy Kollek and now outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Under former mayor Uri Lupolianski, the construction was halted, after the municipality confiscated tractors and heavy machinery from the lawbreakers.

Last summer the director general of the Antiquities Authority, Shuka Dorfman, noted in a kind of "post mortem" that the construction in the King's Garden caused significant and irreversible damage to antiquities.

Representatives of the municipality and Dorfman admitted that they had no good explanation for what has happened in this lovely garden, which is described in the Books of Nechemiah and Ecclesiastes, in midrashim (rabbinic Biblical homiletics) and in many historical sources. Dorfman stressed that together with Tel David, the garden constitutes the only complete archaeological garden of first-rate importance.

5) Challenge Israeli statements with Palestinian accusations.

Ms. Stahl gave up all pretense of journalistic objectivity when she took on the role of court prosecutor with Israeli interviewees. She challenged them by echoing Palestinian allegations:

LESLEY STAHL: So El Ad is doing archaeology and settlements?

DORON SPIELMAN: We are doing archaeology, and we are buying homes and buying land.

LESLEY STAHL: But is it El Ad`s goal to ease the Arabs away from right where we are right now?

DORON SPIELMAN: Put it this way, if there`s a home that an Arab wants to sell and I have the money to buy it and I can move, enable a Jewish family to live there, and I can dig archaeologically underneath it, then I think that`s a wonderful thing to do.

LESLEY STAHL: I heard you wanted to evict people. Where are-- where are those houses?

NIR BARKAT: That`s-- that`s just not true. To accept--

LESLEY STAHL (overlapping): Well, wait, but if you make a park, then those houses can`t be there anymore.

NIR BARKAT: They mustn`t have been there in the first place.

LESLEY STAHL: Yeah, but so-- so you will evict. You will evict.

NIR BARKAT: Not evict. When you improve their quality of life, the right word to say is that you`re dealing with improvement of quality of life.

LESLEY STAHL (voiceover): His park, he says, will upgrade the area, and he`ll allow the people who`ll be evicted to build new houses nearby. But locals tell us the only way to do that would be to build on top of other homes in Silwan...

...The European Union, the United Nations has criticized this plan to get rid of these twenty-two homes. Public opinion, especially while the peace talks are under way, is-- is looking at this and saying you`re trying to get rid- - move Arabs out of Jerusalem.

NIR BARKAT (overlapping): That`s not true.

LESLEY STAHL: But that`s the way it looks......

6) Do not challenge or fact-check any Palestinian statements. Instead accept, repeat and endorse them.

LESLEY STAHL (voiceover): Palestinian Jawad Siyam was born in [Silwan] and says he can trace his roots here back nine hundred thirty years. He`s pessimistic about the Palestinians ever having their own state....

LESLEY STAHL (voiceover): Jawad says that El`Ad uses the dig`s archeological prestige to hide its aim of moving the locals out. And he believes that the tunneling is a way for El`Ad to extend its reach deeper into Silwan...

LESLEY STAHL (voiceover): But as with the dig, the local Arabs see this as another attempt to gobble up their side of Jerusalem...

7) Avoid mention of anything that might portray Palestinians and Arab leaders in a poor light, or as an obstacle to peace.

There was no mention of Jordan's ethnic cleansing of Jews from the region or their Judenrein policy during their illegal occupation, no mention of attempts by Palestinian and Muslim leaders to erase – both mentally (with denials) and physically (by destroying archeological remnants) Jewish history here. There is no mention of the deadly attacks by eastern Jerusalem Arabs against Jews both in eastern and western Jerusalem — a contributing factor to why Israel does not want Jerusalem divided.

Whileshe mentions "escalating confrontations" near Silwan, Ms. Stahl focuses on one incident which she says "became violent" when a car driven by an Israeli who turned out to be "of all people, the head of Elad," struck two masked Palestinian youths who had been throwing stones.Of course, the incident was violent from the start, as masked Palestinian youths and adults surrounded the car, hurling stones at it. Three people, two of them minors and one adult, were subsequently arrested for thowing stones and smashing the window of a car.

There were also many questions about the incident itself, particularly, why so many photographers had converged at the site well before the Israeli driver had entered the scene. Had they beenalerted in advance? Had they been told that there would be dramatic distubances or confrontations they might want to photograph? (See: "Silwan Distortions in the Israeli Press") Needless to say, Ms. Stahl did not explore any of this, as it did not support the story she was telling.

8) Suggest instead that it is Israeli actions – whether archeological excavations, purchasing of homes, or enforcing municipal laws – that obstruct the possibility of peace.

According to Ms. Stahl:

Settlements have been a stumbling block in peace negotiations of the past. And ...could become the stumbling block again.

A decade ago, Chairman President Mahmoud Abbas went on record challenging Jerusalem's Jewish heritage and the existence of a Jewish Temple, adding that even if there were one, "we do not accept it, because it is not logical for someone who wants a practical peace." (Kul Al-Arab, August 25, 2000; Translation: MEMRI) Today, he refuses to accept Israel as a Jewish state.

But to Ms. Stahl and CBS, the Palestinians' refusal to recognize Israel and the attempt to erase Jerusalem's Jewish heritage are not the story she wants to tell. To her, the only obstacle to peace is Israel's commitment to its Jewish roots in Jerusalem.

About the Author

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 36

(36)
Don Rosenberg,
October 13, 2011 2:27 PM

Another program spouting the arab muslim lies and racism

I agree with the comment about the cowardly Stahl promoting the arab lies. No one questions the atrocities that the racist arabs have done. Being Jewish is it discusting that Jews will go out of their way to agree with the lies of the arabs. I guess it makes them feel good because they are guilty that we Jews have what is rightfully ours, Israel. Also, the arab that can trace his roots 900 years, he is a little short of the 9000 years arafat said, muslims we in Israel. Another pack of BS lies by racist arabs.

(35)
Gail,
June 6, 2011 12:11 AM

60 Minutes joins the antl Israeli bloc

It's very "in" now to bash Israel. It's easy to forget that Israel has begged for peace for over 60 years. This segment of 60 Minutes joins Pres Obama in spreading hate against Israel and in providing additional stumbling blocks to peace, both for the Israelis and the Palestinians.

(34)
Beverly Kurtin,
November 8, 2010 1:01 AM

Adios CBS and MSNBC

First, shame on Stahl. I watched that program with my mouth wide open in shock. She's supposedly from a Jewish family, yet she demonstrated exactly what a self-hating Jew is. I've stopped watching CBS by filtering it off of my remote; it simply does not exist, like Stahl would like Israel not to exist.
MSNBC lost me as a viewer when it canned Oberman. They've called it a suspension without pay. I've been "suspended without pay" never to open the door of the company that "suspended me."
My television set was destroyed when a bold of lightening struck a power transformer in my backyard. It was so powerful that it could not disconnect the power quickly enough. I see no good reason to replace it.
I was viscously attacked yesterday by a Mormon who claimed that there are NO Jews left; the Jews who are left are converts and only the Mormons are the true Jews. I had never heard that particular lie from any Mormon but that one man. From now on I read only Jewish blogs and news. I'm too old to go to Israel so I'll just have to fight the good fight from here in the US.

(33)
Anonymous,
November 2, 2010 10:24 AM

No Evidence of King David In Jerusalem?

Well written. I would recommend reading the article also by Stephen Flurry on the trumpet dot com, entitled, "No Evidence of King David In Jerusalem". Such glaring evidence with Eilat Mazar's excavations, yet the media will always side with the Palestinians.

(32)
Karen,
November 1, 2010 10:32 AM

I've virtually stopped watching 60 Minutes the past few years. Bob Simon is downright anti-semitic and I find the show to be anti-Israel in everything they present.

(31)
Anne M,
October 30, 2010 2:59 PM

Journalism or Sensationalism

The media will write anytihng to sell their story. The Arabs are the most whining and complaining people I know. These are what the stations are looking for, because they have lost sight of fair and balanced reporting, and good journalism.

(30)
Rivkah,
October 26, 2010 9:00 PM

Advertisers

Anyone know the name of the advertisers during the show? I never watch the commercials ,but I would like the opportunity to tell them what I think and if I will continue buying their products/services.

(29)
Phyllis Turk,
October 26, 2010 2:23 AM

Shame on Lesley Stahl

Lesley Stahl's interview was totally one sided and she should be ashamed of herself for this anti-Israeli reporting. Shame on 60 minutes too for allowing this kind of propaganda on their show. Last time I'll watch 60 minutes.

(28)
Anonymous,
October 26, 2010 12:08 AM

frustrating and typical of the press

It is my understanding that a coin was found with David Ha Melech's picture on it. Is this true. I am going to try to find my source.

(27)
honest,
October 25, 2010 11:30 PM

being anti jew is their easy solution

the truth doesnt mean anything to these people...turning against jews is easy, so they do it. i personally can not wait until the existance of the third temple proves israel is a jewish state :) we could call it the cordoba response project...and than deny all existance of the dome of the rock. for the next thousand years all should insist the dome of the rock was just a silly myth, but even if it did exist it means nothing because arabs are infidels.

(26)
Kenneth,
October 25, 2010 4:35 PM

journalistically inept

One can add a ninth reason to the above. When an Israeli arab complained about how horrible it was that Israelis had bought his mother's home, Ms. Stahl never even asked "why, then, did she sell it to them?" Would this not seem to be the logical question?
Sadly, CBS news has joined the politically correct crowd in somehow believing that the 1.25 billion arabs who surround 5million Jews in Israel are the underdog and, as such, regardless of right and wrong, truth or lie, good or evil that the underdog must be championed. Or maybe, after a sixty year or so respite, it is not only all right, but fashionable to openly hate Jews again...

(25)
Monica,
October 25, 2010 3:36 PM

What people are not aware of

First I stopped watching 60 minutes after they paid Arab boys in the 90s to throw stones and show photogenic anger. It was a big story then but not eveyone remembers it. Second Stahl is a liberal Jew and just like Soros she works to destroy Israel, so no surprise there. He has the money, she has the mouth and like her are 90% of the "artists" if in US or Israel. Liberalism is a disease.

(24)
anon,
October 25, 2010 3:03 PM

this is exactly

why I stopped watching 60minutes over 30 years ago. They
have never, that I recall, done unbaised reporting.
We mush have trust in Hashem.

(23)
Anonymous,
October 25, 2010 2:18 PM

The Stahl intereview was obviously very biased and anti-Israeli. After reading this article, with its many point of rebuttal, I wondered you've sent a letter to 60 Minutes.

(22)
Nina Golub,
October 25, 2010 4:17 AM

Shameful how one sided Leslie Stahl's interview was. It was totally pro Arab. Nothing can be only one sided. Shame on 60 Minutes for allowing this to be shown that way.

(21)
Tammy,
October 25, 2010 4:10 AM

A Muslim

#(7) Victor must be a Muslim.

(20)
Samson S. Divekar,
October 25, 2010 4:10 AM

Outrageous Concoction !

What else can one expect from people like this Lesley Stahl? She has been bought by the Arab world, no doubt, to spread lies and slander about Israel and the Jews in the world. One only has to bash Jews to get undivided attention of the world. This is blatant anti - Israel propaganda machine. The world needs to wake up to the evil machinations at work which seek to de-recognise Israel, belittle the Jewish religion and refuse to accept the glaringly shameful Holocaust as true. One cannot help but pity poor ignorant fools like this 'Black Blot on Journalism' called Lesley Stahl who refuse to acknowledge history and seek to distort it for their own personal gains.

(19)
Keith, Woking, UK,
October 25, 2010 1:46 AM

"Do we believe... or don't we?"

Yet another biased media report, & quite frankly I'm fed up to the back teeth with them & indeed with the whole darned Palestinian issue!
DO WE BELIEVE IN WHAT HASHEM HAS SAID... OR NOT?. That's all this whole thing boils down to!
I, for one, do... & I'm NOT going to argue with Him..
He has clearly said that Jerusalem, ALL OF IT, is His to do with as He wishes, & His wish, as He has written in His Book, is that Jerusalem, ALL OF IT, is allocated to ISRAEL, regardless of any human so-called boundary lines ..
Ok argue with Him if you wish. That's your perogative. It seems to me that a good deal of people think that HaShem isn't actually real, so why take notice of what's written in an old Book?... Hey!.. Listen up!.. He's real all right, & what He says goes!.. Got it???.
I've had more than enough of people who are obviously determined to ignore the Being who created us.. How ungrateful can you get?..
No, I don't apologise for being so blunt, but like many reading these words, I do believe that our G-d knows far better than we do.. I realise that what I'm saying doesn't sound very caring as such, but believe it or not I do care about ALL people, whether Palestinian or Israeli.. BUT, I do know that G-d's will MUST come first, & in this situation His will is that ALL of Jerusalem is allocated to Israel.. & His word is final, regardless of what I, or anyone else for that matter, may think.. I have a rather uneasy feeling that HaShem's patience on this matter of the rightful occupants of Eretz Israel may be wearing thin!.. How about trusting Him & His wisdom for a change, rather than ourselves?.. Let's face it, we haven't been exactly successful by doing things our own way so far, have we?.....
Keith.

(18)
Susan,
October 24, 2010 11:04 PM

I too saw this sham of reporting.

As my husband and I sat watching this report last Sunday night we were disgusted with the obvious anti-Israel reporting by Ms. Stahl. I cannot say that I was surprised as in the last few years the standards of this show have seriously declined. It is more like a video version of the tabloids you find in the supermarket. Time to find something better to do at 7 PM on Sundays.

(17)
E. Goldstein,
October 24, 2010 10:47 PM

I've lost respect for integrity of 60 minutes

Having watched and admired 60 minutes for so many years it is discouraging to think they've succumbed to arab propaganda to delegitimize Israel.

(16)
Matt Solomon,
October 24, 2010 10:47 PM

60 Minutes: How to waste an hour.

Another point to be made against the quality of Leslie Stahl'sreport was her handling of a statement by Palestinian Jawad Siyam, community organizer (perhaps he will one day be President of a Palestinian State?) was his anger at Jews for buying his grandmother's house in Silwan. This supported her premise that Jews were, to use her term, "infiltrating." The responsible journalisttic follow-up would have been to pursue who sold the house not who bought it. This would have established two points: Palestinians are willing to sell their property to Jewish buyers (often at exorbitant prices) and that these sales are illegal under Palestinian law. Ms. Stahl, if interested in balanced journalism, would have explored this particular, prejudicial Palestinian law.
This was a wasted opportunity to explore the revitilization of areas of Jerusalem rather than condemning it for being "re-Jewvenated."

(15)
carolebolotin,
October 24, 2010 9:35 PM

anti-Semitic,anti-Israel media

The latest nauseating, slanted "news" from 60 Minutes should not surprise anyone who follows their lies constantly, together with LA Times, NYTimes,Time Magazine, ad infinitum. When will Jewish people and others who support Israel awaken from their nightmarish, slavish reading, watching and BOYCOTT these rags? The ONLY newspaper that is worthwhile, supporting Israel, telling it "like it is" is the Wall St. Journal (and I am not making a play for readers of this marvelous paper).

(14)
David,
October 24, 2010 9:18 PM

ON MS: STAHL´S PIECE ON SILWAN IN 60 MINUTES

I also watched Ms. Stahl´s piece last week on 60 ' . Being fairly familiar with what has actually happened there and in other similar situations, I thought it was basically fair, although it is hard to put such an obnoxious issue in a better light. I´ll grant that both sides nit pick trying to score brownie points. The fact remains that while people on one side, however unlikable and different to the other side they may be are trying to hold on to their properties and lives, and others, -mostly fundamentally zealots-, are trying to run them off, the future does not appear to be too alluring unless someone makes some tough decisions quickly.
Moreover, the fact , among many, that some of these same people who are trying to justify their actions to occupy more land, have cut down, or poisoned or burned fruit-producing olive and palm trees to expedite their owners exit, actions which are explicitly forbidden in our sacred Torah and Talmud, does NOT speak very highly on them, and makes people like Ms. Stahl, and millions of others, lean towards favoring the obvious underdog. Taking this simple fact on account, HOW STUPID CAN THESE PEOPLE BE????

(13)
michael grabo,
October 24, 2010 9:10 PM

Lesley Stahl - What a Disappointment

I always respected your honesty and reporting integrity - until this latest drive by smearing of Israel. Shame on you for ignoring facts to be sensational.
michael

(12)
Judy,
October 24, 2010 9:02 PM

Apparently Muslims are in and Jews are out

I have found it very troubling that many of the same "liberals" who call anyone who is against a mosque at Ground Zero a "bigot," also feel that Israel is totally in the wrong to persist in building settlements in "occupied territories." Israelis have an absolute right to build on lands that are theirs, and Muslims have a right to build a mosque on land that is theirs. But if people feel that it is "insensitive" or in some way contrary to peaceful dialogue for Israelis to build, then why do they not feel the same way about the mosque? It is the one-sided point of view that bothers me. I can accept anyone's point of view if it is deeply felt and built in logic, or at least some thoughtful interpretation of the facts. But the double standard applied to these very similar situations leads me to believe that it is, in fact, the people who defend only one group of people's rights who are the bigots. I am not of Jewish heritage, but anyone concerned with fairness should be troubled by the current signs of favoritism leaning toward nations that are not democracies, and who are certainly not any friend of the United States or any nation which espouses free thought.

(11)
sue rocker,
October 24, 2010 8:59 PM

Ms Stahl,i usded to think you were fair minded when it c

Ms Stahl,i have lost all respect for you.I thought u were fair minded when it comes to reporting the news.It hard to believe how one sided you are when it comes to Israel.Why did'nt you show the truth about Palestinians and how they won't recognize Israel or Jerusalems heritage.You should be ashamed of yourself.

(10)
Morris Mahan,
October 24, 2010 8:11 PM

Where was Ms. Stahl ...

In the mid 1960s Chavez ravine in Los Angeles was populated by a poor segment of society. The city wanted a baseball stadium so all homes in the area were condemned and taken in one case by force, destroying everything a family owned. These people were moved against their will and left homeless, getting pennies on the value dollar and no place to go.
Where was Ms. Stahl and CBS then?
These homes are being purchased as the owners decide to sell at a fair price. If I make a cash purchase of a house and property, it's my right to demolish that house and do as I want with the land. I don't know about Isreal, but in the U.S., a homeowner, other than safety concerns, no say over what may be done below a specific depth.
Ms. Stahl is obviously siding with the Muslums who only fear that any excavation would prove what the Jewish community has claimed for centuries that the Temple was there long before the Mosque was built to demonstrate the taking of Isreal. Ancient maps show the city being there and there are so many references to the temple in writing of both Jew and Christian, that to deny it is to refuse to acknowledge facts, defined by the term "stupidity".
Ms. Stahl, before you speak, do your homework.
Morris

(9)
Morris Mahan,
October 24, 2010 7:35 PM

Be aware of Ms. Stahl's and CBS's agenda

CBS is not and has never been an unbiased network. They have time and again demonstrated themselves to be Socialists and anti-Jew and anti-Christian. Whats left? I pray that Isreal does not bend, but publicly shows their prejudices on another network like Fox. Each time they want an inch and Isreal gives, then they want another inch. This poses a problem for the future of Isreal; when you have a problem, at some point you must fight it out or perish. That being so, then why not now and where you stand? (Quote from Robert Louis Stevenson.)

(8)
Risha Shaw,
October 24, 2010 6:32 PM

horrific

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

(7)
Victor,
October 24, 2010 6:10 PM

60 Minutes

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. I saw this segment of 60 Minutes and I did not find it to be biased at all. In fact, I thought a very positive picture was presented. You nitpick. Maybe, that's where part of the problem lies. Palestinians nitpick relatively minor issues and refuse to educate and inform their own people. On the other hand people like you are constantly looking for that needle in a haystack to support your position that you are always right and they are always wrong. On 60 Minutes I thought the archeologist who was interviewed presented his program in a very favorable light.

(6)
juanita driggs,
October 24, 2010 5:53 PM

Who wrote this???

We know who Ms. Stahl is? Who actually wrote this and what are their bona fides? A little attribution every now and then would be helpful when looking for "balance". Otherwise, it's no more or less propaganda than what you purport "60 Minutes" to be engaged in.

(5)
Mick Mooney,
October 24, 2010 5:50 PM

One could understand legitimate enquiries into the facts of history, but this simply beggars belief! It is on a similar level to the neo-nazi denial of the Holocaust. Such thinking is seldom worthy of reply. However in this case, as it involves media-journalism, I'm sure many will have their say - and rightly so. Political bias, racial slurs and historical ignorance, have combined in a singularly spectactular display of un-typical Jew bashing.

(4)
Roberta Freeman,
October 24, 2010 4:13 PM

Ms. Stahl, I have totally lost respect for you as a journalist. When you do a story in the future I will fast forward it. How ugly you made that story on Israel. Shame on you!

(3)
Anonymous,
October 24, 2010 4:09 PM

The main media channels like ABC, NBC and CBS have become editorialists for the leftist agenda , so called "liberals", Why are you surprised that Leslie Stahl has followed this trend? When I was young reporting meant just that, factual information was given to the public. Today ,reporting has been changed to editorializing. How sad ,that the truth no longer is important.

(2)
Doron,
October 24, 2010 3:37 PM

Exellent Article

And I am not a Settler or an archeologist. I just desire the truth and this article is full to the brim. It is slightly slanted, however, but that is probably due to the emotional nature of watching so many people in the world get duped by the strange marriage of Left-wing and Arab falsehoods...

(1)
Yechiel,
October 24, 2010 3:36 PM

This must be very similar to....

I could only fantasize about how Hashem must think when he has told us everything we need to know to have everything we desire in life, and so many of us ignore his Infinite Wisdom.
This same frustration we feel when reading Stahl's anti-Semitic rhetoric from her national soap-box, using edits and half truths to prove her point; surely must be comparable to the way Hashem feels when he sees his children step on all of the "avoidable land mines" which are set so willingly by the rest of the world for His Nation.

I’m wondering what happened to the House of David. After the end of the Kingdom of Judah was there any memory what happened to King David’s descendants? Is there any family today which can trace its lineage to David – and whom the Messiah might descend from?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Thank you for your good question. There is no question that King David’s descendants are alive today. God promised David through Nathan the Prophet that the monarchy would never depart from his family (II Samuel 7:16). The prophets likewise foretell the ultimate coming of the Messiah, descendant of David, the “branch which will extend from the trunk of Jesse,” who will restore the Davidic dynasty and Israel’s sovereignty (Isaiah 11:1, see also Jeremiah 33:15, Ezekiel 37:25).

King David’s initial dynasty came to an end with the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian Exile. In an earlier expulsion King Jehoiachin was exiled by Nebuchadnezzar, together with his family and several thousand of the Torah scholars and higher classes (II Kings 24:14-16). Eleven years later the Temple was destroyed. The final king of Judah, Jehoiachin’s uncle Zedekiah, was too exiled to Babylonia. He was blinded and his children were executed (II Kings 25:7).

However, Jehoiachin and his descendants did survive in exile. Babylonian cuneiform records actually attest to Jehoiachin and his family receiving food rations from the government. I Chronicles 3:17:24 likewise lists several generations of his descendants (either 9 or 15 generations, depending on the precise interpretation of the verses), which would have extended well into the Second Temple era. (One was the notable Zerubbabel, grandson of Jehoiachin, who was one of the leaders of the return to Zion and the construction the Second Temple.)

In Babylonia, the leader of the Jewish community was known as the Reish Galuta (Aramaic for “head of the exile,” called the Exilarch in English). This was a hereditary position recognized by the Babylonian government. Its bearer was generally quite wealthy and powerful, well-connected to the government and wielding much authority over Babylonian Jewry.

According to Jewish tradition, the Exilarch was a direct descendant of Jehoiachin. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 5a) understands Genesis 49:10 – Jacob’s blessing to Judah that “the staff would not be removed from Judah” – as a reference to the Exilarchs in Babylonia, “who would chastise Israel with the staff,” i.e., who exercised temporal authority over the Jewish community. It stands to reason that these descendants of Judah were descendants of David’s house, who would have naturally been the leaders of the Babylonian community, in fulfillment of God’s promise to David that authority would always rest in his descendants.

There is also a chronological work, Seder Olam Zutta (an anonymous text from the early Middle Ages), which lists 39 generations of Exilarchs beginning with Jehoiachin. One of the commentators to Chronicles, the Vilna Gaon, states that the first one was Elionai of I Chronicles 3:23.

The position of Exilarch lasted for many centuries. The Reish Galuta is mentioned quite often in the Talmud. As can be expected, some were quite learned themselves, some deferred to the rabbis for religious matters, while some, especially in the later years, fought them and their authority tooth and nail.

Exilarchs existed well into the Middle Ages, throughout the period of the early medieval scholars known as the Gaonim. The last ones known to history was Hezekiah, who was killed in 1040 by the Babylonian authorities, although he was believed to have had sons who escaped to Iberia. There are likewise later historical references to descendants of the Exilarchs, especially in northern Spain (Catelonia) and southern France (Provence).

Beyond that, there is no concrete evidence as to the whereabouts of King David’s descendants. Supposedly, the great French medieval sage Rashi (R. Shlomo Yitzchaki) traced his lineage to King David, although on a maternal line. (In addition, Rashi himself had only daughters.) The same is said of Rabbi Yehuda Loewe of Prague (the Maharal). Since Ashkenazi Jews are so interrelated, this is a tradition, however dubious today, shared by many Ashkenazi Jews.

In any event, we do not need be concerned today how the Messiah son of David will be identified. He will be a prophet, second only to Moses. God Himself will select him and appoint him to his task. And he himself, with his Divine inspiration, will resolve all other matters of Jewish lineage (Maimonides Hilchot Melachim 12:3).

Yahrtzeit of Kalonymus Z. Wissotzky, a famous Russian Jewish philanthropist who died in 1904. Wissotzky once owned the tea concession for the Czar's entire military operation. Since the Czar's soldiers numbered in the millions and tea drinking was a daily Russian custom, this concession made Wissotzky very rich. One day, Wissotzky was approached by the World Zionist Organization to begin a tea business in Israel. He laughed at this preposterous idea: the market was small, the Turkish bureaucracy was strict, and tea leaves from India were too costly to import. Jewish leaders persisted, and Wissotzky started a small tea company in Israel. After his death, the tea company passed to his heirs. Then in 1917, the communists swept to power in Russia, seizing all of the Wissotzky company's assets. The only business left in their possession was the small tea company in Israel. The family fled Russia, built the Israeli business, and today Wissotzky is a leading brand of tea in Israel, with exports to countries worldwide -- including Russia.

Building by youth may be destructive, while when elders dismantle, it is constructive (Nedarim 40a).

It seems paradoxical, but it is true. We make the most important decisions of our lives when we are young and inexperienced, and our maximum wisdom comes at an age when our lives are essentially behind us, and no decisions of great moment remain to be made.

While the solution to this mystery eludes us, the facts are evident, and we would be wise to adapt to them. When we are young and inexperienced, we can ask our elders for their opinion and then benefit from their wisdom. When their advice does not coincide with what we think is best, we would do ourselves a great service if we deferred to their counsel.

It may not be popular to champion this concept. Although we have emerged from the era of the `60s, when accepting the opinion of anyone over thirty was anathema, the attitude of dismissing older people as antiquated and obsolete has-beens who lack the omniscience of computerized intelligence still lingers on.

Those who refuse to learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. We would do well to swallow our youthful pride and benefit from the teachings of the school of experience.

Today I shall...

seek advice from my elders and give more serious consideration to deferring to their advice when it conflicts with my desires.

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